News

2013-04-18

VATICAN - Cardinal Filoni: dialogue between religions in Asia "for the common good"

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - In the "obvious areas of criticality of the Asian context", marked by situations of "injustice, discrimination, violence, abuse of the creation," "the active presence of different religious traditions also in public spaces, in mutual respect and above all in compliance with the tasks and duties of the state, for the common good" is legitimate: this was said by Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, at the conclusion of the conference held in past days at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, on the theme "Listening to Asia: Pathways for faith, society and religions, between tradition and contemporaneity."
"The dialogue between religions is therefore of social and political connotation, since it is aimed to develop policies and strategies for the common good", such as "promoting a culture of empathy and compassion." In this context "the prophetic denunciation, enlightened by the Holy Spirit to all that degrades or denies the dignity of the human being" is included. For this "authenticity and testimony question the Churches of Asia, particularly in regard to the life of faith." An authentic personal and communal faith - notes the Cardinal - is "a choice for that personal God who is fully revealed in Christ." This encounter, he concludes, "is an indispensable condition for the mission." (Agenzia Fides 18/04/2013)